Statistics

More than half — 55 percent — of the 16,000 children in foster care statewide, as of Sept. 3, 2015, were taken from their homes because of parental drug use, according to state department of human services data.

The agency found that the number of children living in foster care nationally climbed for the fourth year in a row, to about 437,500.

“The continued trend of parental substance abuse is very concerning, especially when it means children must enter foster care as a result,” said Steven Wagner of the Administration for Children and Families. “The seriousness of parental substance abuse, including the abuse of opioids, is an issue we at (Health and Human Services) will be addressing through prevention, treatment and recovery-support measures.”

The following are the statistics as of January 2018:

The following numbers were obtained through our Client Survey Form which all participants fill out. These numbers are prior to obtaining long-term birth control through our program:

Total paid addicts/alcoholics - 6,801

Ethnicity/Race

white - 4,204

black - 1,377

hispanic - 736

other - 484

Type of birth control chosen

Tubal ligation - 2,170

implanon - 780

IUD - 2,542

Depo Provera - 1,059 (we no longer pay for this method - it is only included in the stats)

norplant - 38

vasectomy -250

We calculated number of pregnancies, abortions, stillborn, and children that died after birth for over 13 years. With nearly 5,000 abortions it is clear that abortion is used as a method of birth control. With nearly 800 stillborn births and nearly 500 infants living only a short time after birth it is clear that drugs and pregnancy should not mix.

With nearly 6,000 of our clients living children being in foster care or waiting to be adopted we realize just how difficult it is for an addict to get or stay clean long enough to reclaim their children. I guess what speaks the loudest to those willing to listen is that all of the above was preventable if only the addict had not given birth repeatedly which is why our offer is one huge solution to a very serious problem.